Inspiring and empowering young women to shine in the Mid West and Gascoyne
Worthwhile charities, organisations and not for profit groups are so often the backbone of our local communities.
That’s why our Kleenheat Community Grants program is supporting local groups doing great things in communities across regional Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Our $1,000 grants are designed to give local go-getters a little helping hand in continuing to make a positive difference in our communities. After all, it’s amazing what a little grant can do.
Getting our local staff in on the act
Before we launched Kleenheat Community Grants to the wider community, we asked our local Kleenheat staff across regional WA and the NT to suggest an initiative or program they believed would benefit from a helping hand. 
Sharon Galvin, Branch Manager for Kleenheat in Geraldton, nominated the local SHINE program as a nod to our Inspiring Bright Minds category – highlighting the great work they do inspiring and supporting young women in their personal, educational and career development.
“I’m a firm believer in education and this is one way of enticing these young women into staying in school and at the same time inspiring them to be confident, self-aware, young women,” Sharon said.
Empowering young women to SHINE
For over 10 years, SHINE has supported thousands of young women living locally in Geraldton and across the Mid West and Gascoyne as they’ve transitioned into life beyond school and into the local community.
Rebecca Millar, CEO of SHINE, says the program runs varying workshops throughout the year with the aim of empowering young women to become more confident in themselves and in their communities.
“The aim overall is for students to feel inspired, achieve goals and know they have a supportive community around them.”
SHINE works with local schools to customise suitable student programs based on over 200 activities considered a priority for school-aged personal development. 
The program is currently provided to over 200 girls between the ages of 11 and 17 in schools in Geraldton and Mount Magnet.
For younger primary-aged students, the Shimmer program focuses on mental and physical wellbeing, maintaining healthy social relationships and managing personal and circumstantial change.
For secondary students, SHINE focuses on developing confidence in teenage girls who may be dealing with barriers, helping them reach their potential in school and careers.
Creating positive change and ongoing success
Jodie McAuliffe facilitates the SHINE program, which has ongoing success throughout the community alongside the Shimmer program.
“We’ve seen great successes within the SHINE program. One that comes to mind just in the last couple of years is a young girl who was bullied, and SHINE gave her the confidence to have a voice,” she said. 
“By the end of the year she was actually a true leader in amongst not only the SHINE program but within the school.”
Fourteen year-old Vilma Hodder and 15 year-old Sophie Auld have found the SHINE program not only inspiring, but also beneficial in terms of the work experience and sense of community created.
“SHINE inspires young women and young girls to power forward into the future without letting things hold them back,” Sophie said.
“To be able to achieve that you need to belong and SHINE is a really nice community where you can belong.”
Both Sophie and Velma credit the SHINE program for providing them with skills they can take forward to enrich their lives and help shape their careers.
Valuing community support
SHINE is looking to connect with additional communities in more remote areas, where they can engage with girls in schools and create the confidence and drive they need to succeed. 
Running the program requires financial support and people power, with particular reliance on the local community and business support to provide work experience for SHINE students and venues for training, workshops and events.
In addition, the team’s always on the lookout for reliable and trusted people to become the friendly faces and facilitators of the SHINE program.
Sponsorships and grants contribute to the ongoing efforts of SHINE and many other community initiatives across regional WA and the NT, which all work to improve the lives of others.
Learn more about SHINE at www.shinetoday.com.au.